“Damn”, I thought as I made my way slowly up the uneven path towards the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, “even the donkeys are faster than me. But then again, they have four legs and I only have two. Perhaps the donkeys in Bhutan are special”.
Such were the strange thoughts that went through my mind as I made my way, early in the morning, from the lower car park towards the clouds, beyond which lay the goal for the day, the stunning Paro Taktsang, or Taktsang Palphug Monastery. 600 meters of vertical ascent still lay ahead of me, having already covered the first 100 meters, and I was already feeling the effects of the early morning exercise, so outside of my routine.
Heading towards the sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site, perched precariously on the cliffside overlooking the beautiful Paro valley, one is struck by the multitude of prayer flags along the way. As you make you way up the path, stopping to let ascending donkeys pass as you take a breather, your first goal is to reach the café at the half-way point of the hike. You should expect, unless you are a gym-junkie or regular hiker, to take around three hours to reach the monastery, and that is exactly the time it took me. I did not stop for a break at the café on the way up, preferring to reach the monastery before they close between 1PM and 2PM, and spending as much time at the monastery as possible.
If you start your walk around 8AM you should reach the monastery around 11AM. That will allow you two hours to explore the many rooms, hidden passages, steep stairs and sturdy wooden construction of the temples, before making your way down again around 1PM. What you could do is hire a donkey to take you as far as the half-way café from where you will need to ascend the rest of the way by yourself.
Upon reaching the monastery and recovering enough breath to say Good Morning to the ticket-collector, you are stripped of your electronic devices. No cameras or mobile devices are permitted inside the monastery. I cannot remember but I think wallets are permitted, but if not then take some cash so that you may make an offering at the temple by buying one of the butter lamps to light and leave. Despite not being Buddhist, I found the experience of making a cash offering and lighting a butter lamp candle very spiritual.
Take time to explore the four temples that make up the Taktsang complex. I have a feeling that you too will enjoy the magnificent statues and drawings of Buddha as you wander through the monastery. Also take time to view, from each of the temples, the view down into the forest. You may just feel that your three-hour trek was worth the effort as you gaze over the Paro Valley.
After exploring the temples, it’s time to head back down the trail. Despite being downhill it’s still quite a trek. The café at the half-way point now beckons so take the opportunity for tea and cake while you sit outside and admire the splendor of the view up towards Taktsang Monastery. You may even be greeted by one of the friendly birds, hoping for a small piece of your cake. Also, keep a watch out for the cheeky monkeys in the trees as they could have their eyes on your coffee.
You have now reached the end of the trail and you find yourself in a tunnel of vendors, offering all sorts of wonderful tourist trinkets. Since I collect small elephants from each country that I visit, I added to my collection a beautiful small copper elephant. You will definitely find something to take home, if only for the memory of your most inspiring, yet challenging, adventure in Bhutan.
Apparently, since I visited, there is a new trail leading from the car park to the monastery, one that is quicker and has more rest areas. This article here has more details.
One important thing to remember: no vacation to Bhutan would be complete without a visit to the Tiger’s Nest Temple, so get up early, strap on those walking shoes, take a sturdy stick and head for the trail that, upon reflection, will be one of the highlights of your vacation in Bhutan.
I arranged my vacation to Bhutan with Amulet Luxury Travel Bhutan and the tour that I did, called ‘Heart of Bhutan’, many be found here. The owner of the company, Mr Tshering Tashi, has become a friend over the years and I have pleasure in recommending his company for your travels to Bhutan. The links above are offered as a gesture of goodwill to Mr Tshering for the most amazing vacation that I enjoyed in Bhutan. They are NOT affiliate links and I will not earn any commission by you booking through his company.
Enjoy your magical vacation to the Land of the Thunder Dragon where Gross National Happiness is a philosophy that is part of the national culture.
Consider one of the accommodation options by clicking in the box below.
Booking.comOur other posts on Bhutan may be found here. Our video of the hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery may be found on our YouTube channel here.
(Vsited in May 2016)